SDSU and NAGPRA

About SDSU NAGPRA

San Diego State University acknowledges its presence on Kumeyaay land and serves a county with 17 federally recognized Tribal Nations, in addition to non-federally recognized Tribes and lineal descendants. We respect Native American legacy, sovereignty and cultural traditions, and support the repatriation of all ancestral remains and cultural items. Our compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) dates to the 1990s. The University has redoubled its NAGPRA and California NAGPRA (CalNAGPRA) efforts in ensuring continued compliance at the state and federal levels. In adherence with the law, SDSU conducts audits and maintains an inventory of specified cultural items, and returns items through a respectful consultative process.

Purpose and Activities

Priorities for SDSU’s NAGPRA work include the following actions:

  • Help ensure that the university, and its research community, remains in compliance with the California Legislature passed Assembly Bills 275 and 389 (AB 275, AB389) and federal law.
  • Collaborate with colleagues from across the University to identify any Native ancestral human remains, associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, objects of cultural patrimony, and other cultural items that might be in the possession of the university.
  • Maintain an inventory of all ancestral remains and cultural items within the University’s holdings.
  • Work with the California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), National NAGPRA Program, and Native American Tribes to facilitate repatriation.
  • Provide both the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost with recommendations on policy and procedures, and overall implementation of NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA.

University Actions

Repatriation is an ongoing and active process. Our university has had success in repatriating items due to intentional efforts dating back to the 1990s, efforts begun well before the 2020 amendments to CalNAGPRA. Over the last several years in particular, SDSU has done the following:

  • Established a committee and ultimately launched the SDSU NAGPRA Task Force group to ensure compliance with new legislation. These groups have been formed to address new NAGPRA legislation, to schedule regular meetings with Native American and Tribal representatives, and to document university progress with repatriation efforts. Per AB389, the SDSU NAGPRA Task Force is now the SDSU NAGPRA Oversight Committee which is comprised of individuals who have been formally approved by the NAHC and appointed by the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
  • Implemented plans to proactively contact Native American and Tribal groups and nations on an annual basis to inform them of the holdings, namely through sending consultation invitation letters to federally recognized Tribes, non-federally recognized Tribes, and lineal descendants identified by the California Native American Heritage Commission as having cultural affiliation with ancestral remains and cultural items held by SDSU.
  • Completed in 2022 and 2024 campus-wide surveys to update its inventory of ancestral remains and cultural items and to assess for university-wide compliance with state and federal laws. SDSU will conduct future campus-wide surveys to ensure continued compliance.
  • SDSU has regularly scheduled consultation meetings with culturally affiliated Tribes.
  • Offered education to new faculty on NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA and review of any cultural items and ancestral remains they may hold.
  • Advocate for and partner with Tribes to support their needs and capacity for repatriation.

SDSU NAGPRA Oversight Committee

SDSU is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under CalNAGPRA and NAGPRA.

In accordance with AB389 Section 8028.7 and Section 8028.71, SDSU’s Oversight Committee provides oversight and guidance to ensure full compliance with CalNAGPRA and federal NAGPRA regulations. Additionally, SDSU personnel are engaged in ongoing NAGPRA work.

Information regarding NAHC-approved and Chancellor’s Office appointed SDSU NAGPRA Oversight Committee members can be found on the Native American Heritage Commision site.

For questions regarding NAGPRA at SDSU, contact SDSU’s NAGPRA Coordinator Jaime Lennox by emailing [email protected].

University Resources

SDSU recognizes the importance and significance of Federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (CalNAGPRA) activities, and has a long history of compliance since the 1990s. Other resources are available for more information.